diff --git a/jmespath/compat.py b/jmespath/compat.py
index 50f8f27..6b12ccc 100644
--- a/jmespath/compat.py
+++ b/jmespath/compat.py
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-import sys
 import inspect
-from itertools import zip_longest
 
+iteritems = dict.items
 
+map = map
 text_type = str
 string_type = str
 
diff --git a/jmespath/functions.py b/jmespath/functions.py
index 11ab56a..d68ef2f 100644
--- a/jmespath/functions.py
+++ b/jmespath/functions.py
@@ -2,8 +2,10 @@
 import json
 
 from jmespath import exceptions
-from jmespath.compat import string_type as STRING_TYPE
 from jmespath.compat import get_methods
+from jmespath.compat import iteritems
+from jmespath.compat import map
+from jmespath.compat import string_type as STRING_TYPE
 
 
 # python types -> jmespath types
@@ -281,6 +283,14 @@ def _func_sort(self, arg):
     def _func_sum(self, arg):
         return sum(arg)
 
+    @signature({'types': ['object']})
+    def _func_items(self, arg):
+        return list(map(list, iteritems(arg)))
+
+    @signature({'types': ['array']})
+    def _func_from_items(self, items):
+        return dict(items)
+
     @signature({"types": ['object']})
     def _func_keys(self, arg):
         # To be consistent with .values()
@@ -346,6 +356,10 @@ def _func_max_by(self, array, expref):
         else:
             return None
 
+    @signature({'types': ['array'], 'variadic': True})
+    def _func_zip(self, *arguments):
+        return list(map(list, zip(*arguments)))
+
     def _create_key_func(self, expref, allowed_types, function_name):
         def keyfunc(x):
             result = expref.visit(expref.expression, x)
diff --git a/tests/compliance/functions.json b/tests/compliance/functions.json
index 7b55445..0ddb433 100644
--- a/tests/compliance/functions.json
+++ b/tests/compliance/functions.json
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
     "empty_list": [],
     "empty_hash": {},
     "objects": {"foo": "bar", "bar": "baz"},
+    "items": [["a", "first"], ["b", "second"], ["c", "third"]],
     "null_key": null
   },
   "cases": [
@@ -175,6 +176,22 @@
       "expression": "floor(str)",
       "error": "invalid-type"
     },
+    {
+      "expression": "sort_by(items(objects), &[0])",
+      "result": [["bar", "baz"], ["foo", "bar"]]
+    },
+    {
+      "expression": "items(empty_hash)",
+      "result": []
+    },
+    {
+      "expression": "items(numbers)",
+      "error": "invalid-type"
+    },
+    {
+      "expression": "from_items(items)",
+      "result": {"a": "first", "b": "second", "c": "third"}
+    },
     {
       "expression": "length('abc')",
       "result": 3
@@ -189,7 +206,7 @@
     },
     {
       "expression": "length(@)",
-      "result": 12
+      "result": 13
     },
     {
       "expression": "length(strings[0])",
@@ -588,6 +605,18 @@
       "comment": "function projection on single arg function",
       "expression": "array[].to_number(@)",
       "result": [-1, 3, 4, 5, 100]
+    },
+    {
+      "expression": "zip(strings, numbers)",
+      "result": [["a", -1], ["b", 3], ["c", 4]]
+    },
+    {
+      "expression": "zip(strings, numbers, decimals)",
+      "result": [["a", -1, 1.01], ["b", 3, 1.2], ["c", 4, -1.5]]
+    },
+    {
+      "expression": "zip(str)",
+      "error": "invalid-type"
     }
   ]
 }, {